Teeth Grinding

Stress can play a big part

There are simple solutions

Lifestyle changes can help

Teeth grinding, which can be common in a lot of people, has a variety of causes. People can do this in their sleep due to stress. It’s not something that they should keep quiet about in the hopes that it goes away. Doing this leaves the door open for things to get even worse in the future.

Here are some things to know about teeth grinding.

Symptoms

Teeth-grinding, or bruxism, as it is known in the dental field, occurs for a variety of reasons. People may be stressed, battling a sleep disorder, or they may have TMJ , to name several. They may not even know that they are doing it except for having a sore jaw when they wake up. Other signs may include a headache and loose teeth. If this is not caught and fixed, the end result could be fractured or lost teeth.

Treatment

Dentists usually customize a mouthguard for the patient to wear while sleeping each night. It separates the upper and lower teeth and keeps them from touching while the patient slumbers. The result is a better night’s sleep and no jaw soreness.

Alternatively, the patient can take a muscle relaxant before bed. The jaw muscles won’t be tense overnight. Also, touching the space between the ear and jaw can help.

Lifestyle Changes

Using the overnight mouthguards can play a big part in alleviating bruxism, but there are other steps that can be taken, including removing stressors from one’s life. That may be easier said than done since changing a job or moving may not be in the cards.

Besides eliminating or reducing stress in their lives, people can do one or more of these things:

• Cut down on caffeine consumption over the course of a day. That includes coffee, colas, and chocolate.
• Gum-chewing can make people prone to grinding at night – the jaw is used to behind clenched often.
• Limit alcoholic beverages because that can also make people grind their teeth while sleeping.
• Exercise can help people sleep well. Of course, get doctor to approve.
• Constantly being aware of what goes on with one’s mouth over the course of a day. Subconsciously clenching teeth? Put the tip of the tongue between the upper and lower teeth instantly relax the jaw muscles.

The experienced staff at Dental Emergency Room can help solve the problem of bruxism, along with many other dental conditions. Give them a call at 727-449-2424